Readying your settlement for stage two

You awake from a pleasant slumber feeling amazingly refreshed. The sun is just barely peeking out over the island's many hilltops, and exotic bird-calls ring vibrantly. Yahima is still asleep, gently dozing with her arm over your chest. Tender emotion fills your heart as you gaze at her peaceful face. Still, you feel so good that you are filled with constructive energy and want to take full advantage of your early start. As carefully as possible, you move her arm from your chest and sneak out of bed, hoping not to wake her. Despite a few inarticulate grumblings she stays asleep and you slip out the door.

Now that the groundwork for your farm (and by extension, your income) has been laid, you need to work on fulfilling your end of the bargain. There are three primary responsibilities for encomenderos: 1. Protection of the natives from their enemies 2. Education and assimilation into the Spanish language and culture 3. Last but not least, bringing the light of god to the poor heathens. You find yourself lacking the necessary skills and, in the first case, manpower to accomplish these tasks, meaning you must bring on hired help. Unfortunately, your funds are at their limits, so you're going to have to take on debt to see these goals accomplished. Hopefully a strong first crop will make headway on paying back the loan(s) you will need to take out. You assume the governor would be a good man to go to for such a thing, as you are already on familiar terms and he didn't at least seem the man to cheat in finances. You resolve to head there straight away.

You wake your carriage man so that he may take you into town. Your horse would be faster, but the carriage will be necessary if you find anyone to bring back to the encomienda. The trip into town is rather pleasant. The air is still cool, not yet heated by the strong equatorial sun. Little traffic exists in these parts even at the height of day, so it is a peaceful solitary ride.

You find the governor's mansion open to you as per usual. You sit across from him at his desk, where he stifles a yawn and rubs the fatigue from his eyes. Sancho almost spills the drinks he bring for you, then leaves with his usual awkwardness. "Unusually early for you to be calling Senor. Not that I mind, of course. But what has possessed you with such, shall we say, ardor at this hour?" You can tell that despite his protests otherwise, he is a bit annoyed. Not the best state to ask for money in, but it's a bit late now. "Well," you say, trying to think out your words as diplomatically as possible,"I have recently felt a passion for working on my estate. Which will hopefully contribute much in tax to the colony one day" you add with a smile. He seems unimpressed, but you continue. "I have however hit a roadblock. I need more money than I have in order to hire on workers to fulfill my legal obligations. Which is why...I was wondering...would it be at all possible for you to extend me a line of credit? Between friends?" You try to look as chipper as possible. He stares into your face for a good fifteen seconds before replying.